


Anniversary

by Shinigami_Mistress (Southern_Breeze)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M, Grelliam, Grelliam Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 17:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8855125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southern_Breeze/pseuds/Shinigami_Mistress
Summary: It's the anniversary of the day William and Grell reaped Thomas's soul, as well as the day Grell first fell for William. It's time for them to have a talk.





	

Time was always slipping away.

William was a man who lived by regulations and schedules, yet he always seemed to be behind. No matter how hard and diligently he worked, he rarely left on time, and this day had been no exception. Dispatch was quiet as the other workers had gone home. This much did not upset William since he worked best without distraction, but a quick glance at the clock made him frown. It was after midnight. It was a new day, and he was still at work on the previous day’s paperwork. The endless cycle continued.

A soft knock drew his attention to the open door, and he was surprised to see Grell leaning over so that only her head and shoulders were visible. “Working late again, my darling?” she asked.

“I’m not your darling,” he replied automatically before straightening his glasses. “You’re also here quite late. Is there a particularly reason.”

She shrugged slightly. “Late reap,” she replied, “and I know how you’re a stickler for paperwork being started quickly.”

“I’m glad to see you are being responsible,” he began, “Now if only-”

“But I’m glad you’re here late,” she interrupted, “I have something for you.”

Without waiting for an invitation, she swept into the room; the red coat billowing out like a cape or crimson wings. In her hands, which had been hidden from his view up to this point, she carried a cake. It appeared to be homemade, although well-decorated with a thick buttercream icing and fresh raspberries. She set the desert out on the desk with a broad smile.

“Happy anniversary, darling!” she said.

“Anniversary?” he repeated questioningly, “What are you talking about, Sutcliff?”

“Our anniversary,” she replied, “Don’t you remember? It was a hundred years ago today that we had a little scuffle, and I realized that you were the only man for me.” She sighed happily. “A century later and it feels like yesterday.”

“You’re talking about our final,” he said.

“Of course!” she exclaimed, “I figured you had forgotten that all that happened 100 years ago today, but I wanted to celebrate, so I made a cake.”

“Actually, I did not forget,” he said. He turned and unlocked a private drawer on his desk. As she watched, he pulled out a small folder and carefully opened it to reveal it’s contents. Protectively encased in plastic was the story that young Thomas Wallis had been working on when he had met his fated end.

Her eyes grew wide as she picked up the folder. “You went back and retrieved his story? I never knew. Do you have all of it?” 

“No,” he replied, “Some pages were lost forever while others were far too stained by blood or torn. I was able to retrieve most of his novel, however, and I preserved it.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling her all of this, but this was a piece of their shared history. “I usually keep this at home, but I brought it to work with me yesterday. I’m not sure why precisely.”

Grell looked over the pages, but an odd darkness past over his features. “I remember reading this the first time,” she said, “I really liked his story then.”

“It is well-written,” William agreed.

“But over time, I realized that the story had one major flaw,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

Lying the pages aside, Grell looked at him directly. “It’s still a lovely story,” she said, “but it’s not perfect. William, the one in the story, is selfish.”

Her reply caught him completely off guard. “Selfish? I’m not sure what you mean. He gave up his life to save another. That is far from selfish?”

“Oh really?” Grell asked, “What William done was romantic, that’s true, but it’s still selfish. He gave up his life to save the woman he loved, and she was able to move on. Her memory of him was gone, or at least mostly. Maybe she remembered enough to name her son William, but she didn’t have all the pain of losing someone she loved. She was able to move on, get married, and have a family while William was simply gone.”

He adjusted his glasses again. “I still fail to see how that is selfish,” he said.

“What if there was someone who loved William all along?” she questioned, “William didn’t even consider that. There could be someone who didn’t have the benefit of losing their memory. They’d just have to know that William was gone and there was no chance of ever winning his love or even seeing him?”

She took a step back as her eyes flashed with emotion. “William never thought how his decision affected anyone else,” she said, “He wanted to save the woman, which was loving, but he never stopped to think that maybe there was someone who loved him enough to want him to stay.”

A slight pause followed and it seemed as if the air around them was now thick and uneasy. “Do you mean like Grell?” he asked, “The one in the story?”

“The Grell in the story didn’t know how to love,” she replied in and oddly subdued tone, “Not yet at least, and she’d never have a chance to learn.” She shook her head suddenly. “I should get ready to go home,” she announced before leaving the office.

William could only sit there for a few moments as he considered all that had just happened. For a century now Grell had proclaimed her love in a variety of ways, but he had always been able to tell himself it was all just an act. It had seemed impossible for him to accept that she might actually care, and even more impossible that he’d deserve someone’s love. There had been something different this time, however, in how Grell had expressed her feelings. Even though she had been talking about characters and stories, there had been a raw honesty he had never seen from her before. It had become impossible for him to deny certain things.

He stood up quickly and hurried to her desk. To his relief, she was still shuffling papers and hadn’t actually left yet. She didn’t look up at his approached.

“William was more thoughtless than selfish,” he said, “He didn’t think anyone could really love him nor did he think of himself worthy of being loved. He thought he would do more good by giving up his own life for someone who could be more. As for the memory of him being erased, this was also no great loss from his perspective. He assumed no one would remember him anyway.”

She looked up slowly. “William was wrong,” she said.

“He’s starting to believe that might be the case,” he said, “Look, Sut- Grell…” His voice trailed off as he searched for the right words.

“Yes?” she prodded.

“I really can’t eat a whole cake by myself,” he said, “It would be best if you shared it with me.” It wasn't what he had intended to say, but it was a start at least. He only hoped Grell understood what he meant.

She studied him for a moment before smiling softly. “Darling, I’d thought you’d never ask.”

They turned and began to walk back to William’s office side by side. As they walked, Grell reached out and took William’s hand; interlacing her fingers with his own.

And he didn’t pull away.


End file.
